Fuel economizer for internal combustion engines



June 1, 1937.

E. 4. GIARA FUEL ECONOMIZER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June 4, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 1, 1937. E4. GIARA 2,082,389

. FUEL ECONOMIZER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June 4, 1936 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M zic/iaiam Gum/mg Patented June l, 1937 UNITED STATES- FUEL EooNomzEa FOR INTERNAL COM- BUSTION ENGINES Emil J. Giara, Corbin, Ky., assignor of one-third to Earl C. Newman, Londoni Ky., and

one-

third to 'I'ollie B. 'Keltner, Corbin, Ky. Application June 4, 1936, Serial No. 83,552

11 Claims.

This invention relates to the class of internal combustion engines and pertains particularly. to a device for attachment to the intake manifold between the same and the carbureter for effect- 5 ing an economy in the use of fuel.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a device which is entirely automatic in its operation, which will act as an economizer in the operation'of the motor vehicle in that it will automatically effect the passage of air through the cylinders of the vehicle engine and stop the introduction of gasoline thereto, during certain periods in the operation of the vehicle whereby not only a saving of fuel is effected 15 but a cooling of the engine parts is obtained.

Another object of theinvention is to provide a fuel economizer for use in connection with internal combustion engines, which automatically operates to introduce auxiliary air into the en- 20 gine manifold with the fuel mixture during the operation of the vehicle at cruising speeds, and which also automatically operates to shut off the flow of auxiliary air when additional engine power is called for and the controlling 25 accelerator for the engine is actuated in the usual manner to supply such power, so that the full quantity of fuel is supplied to the engine.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device which operates automatically when 30 the motor vehicle is moving underthe eflects of acquired momentum so that the engine is being driven instead of acting'as the driving power, to

open an air inlet passage between the carbureter and the intake valves of the engine whereby the I 35 operation of the pistons of theengine will draw in and expel air without having fuel mixed therewith, thereby not only effecting a saving in fuel but decreasing crank case oil dilution and reducing vacuum pull back on the pistons whereby' 40 the vehicle will be carried a greater distance parture from the salient features of the inven-- tion as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan of the device embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4--4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view illustrating theposition of the rotary valve during the idling period of the engine; 1

Figure 6 is a view illustrating the position of the rotary valve during the operation of the engine at cruising speed;

Figure '7 is a sectional view on the line 1-1 of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a view in plan of the valve holding I spring; I

Figure 9 is a plan view of a spring seat.

Figure 10 is a view in side elevation of the device showing the connections between the same and a carbureter butterfly valve control arm.

Referringnowmore particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral l indicates a tubular body portion of the device embodying the present invention, which is formed at its two ends with the apertured plates 2 by which its installation between the motor vehicle carbureter and th intake manifold is effected so that the fuel mixture supplied by the carbureter may pass through the tubular body I to the' manifold and the intake valves of the engine cylinders. At one side of the body I is the air intake pipe 3 which is open to the atmosphere at its outer end and opens at its inner end into the body I. Extending transversely through the pipe 3 and through the iongitudinal center thereof is a shaft 4 which carries the butterfly valve 5 which is formed so as to assume an angle of approximately relative to the pipe 3 when it is in fullyclosed position. Due to the fact that the shaft 4 passes through the pipe upon the longitudinal center thereof, it will be apparent that the valve 5 will 45 remain in any position in which it is set and will not be affected by suction or air pressure in the pipe.

Secured to the wall of the pipe 3 upon the outside adjacent one end of the shaft 4 is a, stop lug 6 and the shaft 4 carries a split collar 1 having an integral lug. 8 through which is threaded an adjustable movement limiting screw 9 which contacts the lug 6 to stop the valve in horizontal fully opened position. Also integrally 5 connected with the split collar I is anactuatin arm I. which has a longitudinal slot ii therein for the purpose hereinafter described.

Extending laterally from and formed integrally with the tubular body I, and at right angles to the pipe 3 is a rotary valve box 12 which has a chamber II, the inner end wall 14 of which forms a seat for a rotary valve body, hereinafter described, while the opposite end of the chamber 13 is closed by the removable head plate l5. The center of the seat 14 has a socket II for the reception of one end of a pin 11 which has a squared portion II which through a similarly formed opening in a rotary valve disk I! which snugly fits in the chamber 3 and has one side face in contact with the seat l4. At the inner end of the squared portion 18 of the disk carrying pin,

is a collar 26 against the underside of which bears the ring portion 21 of a spring spider which has the three resilient arms 22. These amis 22 are curved to engage the adJacent side face of .the disk l9 so as to constantly exert a pressure thereon to maintain the disk upon its seat and the'face of the disk against which the arms bear is provided with recesses 23 in each of which an end of an arm engages so that no relative movement'between the arms and the disk can take place.

The outer end of the pin l1 beyond the collar 26, is round and passes through a similar opening in the plate 15, so that the pin may be readily rotated, and beyond the plate I5 the pin has secured thereto, the lever 24 which is adapted to be coupled with theaccelerator rod which actuates the butterfly valve of the vehicle carbureter so that this'valve and the disk valve l9 may be operated in unison.

The face of the seat I4 is provided with the four ports which are indicated-by the numerals 25, 26, 21 and 28, and as. is shown in Figure 3,

the port 28 passes through from the chamber 13 into the interior of the body i, while the ports 25 and 26 are in communication, respectively, with the pipes 29 and 30 and the port 21 is in communication with the outside'atmosphere through the wall opening or passage 31.

The disk valve has an arcuate port formed therethrough, as indicated by the numeral 32, and 'an arcuate recess in the face which opposes the seat l4, as indicated by the numeral 33. As shown, the port 25 is relatively small. The ports 26 and 21 are also relatively small but are larger than the port 25 and are in relatively close relation, while the port 28 is large, being of an arcuate extent substantially equal with the port 32 which goes completely through the valve disk. The disk recess 33 is of such an arcuate extent that when thedisk i9 is in the position which it occupies when the vehicle engine controlling throttle is in engine idling position, the ports 25 and 26 will open into the recess and consequently be in communication through the same while the port 26, when the disk is in this position, will be completely covered by the imperforate part of the disk or, in other words, this port will be closed. An explanation of the operation taking place when the disk is in the said engine idling position, will be hereinafter fully explained.

Secured to the lower part of the body I upon the side of the same occupied by the lever 10 which controls the oscillation valve 5, is a barrel 34 which has an enlarged rear end portion 35 and a forward portion 36 of smaller diameter upon the economizer.

of a suitable instrument with the head by which the latter may be screwed out of position.

Slidably disposed to snugly engage in the reduced portion-33 of the barrel 34, is a piston 40 which is open at the end which is directed toward the opening 31, while the opposite end of the piston is closed, and extending from this opposite end longitudinally through the piston and through the passage or opening 31 is a rod 4| which carries a pin 42 which has sliding connection or engagement in the slot ll of the oscillating valve lever ili. Encircling the rod 4| is an expansion spring 43 which bears at one end against theapertured end wall of the portion 36 of the barrel and at its other end against the closed end of the piston 40, and this spring normally tends to urge the piston in the direction of the head 36,.thus oscillating the arm in a manner to maintain the valve 5 in closed position. Since the portion 35 of the barrel is of greater interior diameter than the portion 36 and the piston which snugly positions in the portion 36 is projected into the portion 35 in the manner shown, it will be seen that there will remain in the portion 35 an area about the piston and this area is occupied by the wires of a solenoid core, of which the piston 46 forms a shiftable core which, when the coil is energized, is drawn into the core in the manner well understood. One end of this solenoid coil, which is indicated by the numeral 44, is grounded to the metal barrel surrounding it while the other end is attached to the terminal 45.

Adjacent the forward end of the portion 35 of the barrel is a port opening into the barrel and with which is joined the other end of the pipe 30 which leads from the port 26. The other end of the pipe 29 which leads from the port 25 is attached either to the intake manifold or to the engine carbureter venturi so that the vacuum created in the intake manifold by the engine pistons working in the cylinders, will effect a suction of air from the forward end portion 36 of the barrel 34 by way of the pipe 36 and the port 26, for the purpose hereinafter described.

The numeral 46 indicates the generator of the motor vehicle electric system and the cutout which forms a part of this system and is usually mounted upon the generator, is indicated by the numeral 41.

The electromagnet v48 and the armature 49' invention, there is'added to the cutout structure the bracket 52 carrying a terminal 53 with which one end of a wire 54 is connected. the other end of the wire being connected with the terminal 45 This terminal 53 is disposed, as shown, so that when an insufllcient amount of current is passing through the electromagnet 48 to attract the armature ,49 and the latter rises from the contact 55 which is electrically connected with the magnet, it will form an electrical connection with the contact 53 so that when the ignition switch of the vehicle is on, the switch being indicated by the numeral 56, electric cu rent will flow from the battery 50 through the wire 54 to the terminal 45 and energized the solenoid coil 44 so as to draw the piston 40 into the coil and effect the closing of'the valve 5.

Secured to the side of the body I opposite the pipe 3. is a housing 51 which includes a cylinder 58 having an opening 59 in a wall thereof so that communication is established between the interior of the cylinder and the interior of the housing and this housing covers an opening .60 in the wall of the rotary valve box l2. Reciprocably mounted in the cylinder 58 is the piston 6|. the closed outer end of which carries a suitable gasket or packing disk 62 which normally closes an air inlet opening 63 formed through the outer end of the cylinder. The cylinder opens at its inner end against the packing disk 64 which is set in the edge of an opening 65 in the wall of the body I, and interposed between the housing 51 and the body I and the adjacent portion of the valve disk box I2, is a gasket 66. This gasket has an opening coaxial with the opening 65 but of smaller diameter, so that a portion of it extends over the opening 65 and acts as a stop or abute ment against which the open end of the piston 6i may engage. The piston BI is normally maintained in its extreme outward position where it closes the opening 63 and the opening 53, by means of the expansion spring 61 which bears at one end against the gasket 66 while its other end extends into the piston and engages the closed outer end of the same.

Forming a part of the housing 51 is a laterally extending boss 66 which has a recess 63 therein which is in communication with the interior of the housing between the cylinder 58 and the port or opening 60, and threaded into this bo s is a needle valve 10 which, when turned in a direction to be moved inwardly, enters and closes the outer end of a passage ll which is formed through the wall of the body I to the interior thereof.

-In the operation of the present device, when the motor vehicle upon which it is mounted is traveling along at a speed of eight miles an hour or less, at which time the throttle of the carbureter will be in such a position that the vehicle engine will substantially be idling, the generator of the car will not be making sufficient current to energize the electromagnet 48 so that the armature 49 will be raised and in electrical contact with the terminal 5|, thus permitting current to fiow to the solenoid coil 44. The coil, being energized, will retract the piston 40 and maintain the butterfly valve 5 in closed position. With the throttle in the position stated, the lever 24 controlling the disk valve I9 will be so arranged that the disk valve will be disposed in the position illustrated in Figure 5 where a connection will be established between the ports 25 and 26 and the suction created in the intake manifold will be transmitted through .to the forward end of the barrel 34, however, this suction will have no effect upon the piston 40 as the magnetic effect of the solenoid coil will overcome the suction and hold the valve 5 in the position illustrated.

However, if the vehicle is traveling on momentum with the throttle closed and at a speed of more than eight miles an hour so that the generator will be turning over at a sufficient rate of speed to generate current, the electromagnet 48 will be energized and the generated current will flow to the battery 50 and consequently the armature 49 will be outof electrical contact with the terminal 53 and the solenoid 44 will be de-energized. As'the disk valve will still be in the position shown in Figure 5, it will be apparent that the suction eifect created by the pistons will have full influence upon the piston 40 in the barrel 34, so that the piston will be drawn into the small end 36 of the barrel against the tension of the spring 43 and will effect the oscillation of the valve 5 to opened position. This establishes a'clear passage for atmospheric air through the pipe 3 into the body I where it will flow into-the intake manifold and to the cylinders of the engine. thus entirely breaking the suction effect upon the carbureter with the result that no gasoline will be sucked into the cylinders but only free air, and this air will flow. into. through and out of the cylinders and will have a cooling effect thereon. At the same time, while the car is traveling under momentum. no gasoline will be drawn in and exhausted and thus be wasted. as would be the case under nor mal conditions where some gasoline would be drawn into the engine cylinders and exploded thus maintaining the cylinders at a high temperature and wasting the fuel. Under the conditions thus far set forth, the second mentioned piston, the piston 6i, will remain in the position where it will close the openings 59 and 63.

Should it become necessary to speed up the vehicle, the throttle of the carbureter is opened in the usual manner and this movement of the throttle to open position will effect a simultaneous rotary movement of the disk valve i9 so that it will be shifted to the position illustrated in Figure 6 where the port 25 will 'be closed, the ports 26 and 21 will be put into communication through the movement of the arcuate recess over them, and the valve opening or port 32 will shift so as to uncover a part or all of the port 28. Thus the vacuum established in the forward end 36 of the barrel 34 will be broken by air entering through the passage 3| and passing from port 21 to port 26 and then through the pipe 30 into the barrel. This will release the piston 46 so that the spring 43 will shift it in a direction to effect the closing of the valve 5. Since the sudden opening of the throttle for the purpose of giving more fuel to the engine, reduces the vacuum in the intake manifold, the second piston 6| will remain in its closed position, and thus a full supply of fuel is given when required, to the engine, passing from the carbureter directly through the body I to the manifold. However, as the vehicle engine gradually overcomes the load imposed upon it, the vacuum in the manifold gradually increases so that it will exert sufficient effect upon the second piston 6| to shift it against the tension of the spring 61, so as to open the passages 59 and 63 and allow some auxiliary air to enter and flow through the housing 51 and into the body I to mix with the fuel passing therethrough, by way of the passage 60 and the ports 28 and 32. It will thus be seen that thedevice described opcrates instantly to shut off the supply of auxiliary air to the intake manifold of the engine as soon as the necessity develops for the engine to deliver extra power or perform extra work.

The numeral 12 indicates a cut-off petcock or thumb valve in the pipe line 29. This is employed in the event that the current carrying line between the battery and generator becomes broken for any reason, so that when the generator is not running at a charging rate, current cannot reach .the solenoid coil 44. If this occurred, the decreased pressure in pipe 30 would maintain the valve 5 open and prevent operation of the engine, whereas by closing valve 12, the development of this decreased pressure is prevented and the spring 43 controls the pist The needle valve is provided to supply a small amount of air to the intake manifold for addition to the fuel mixture, when the engine is idling. With the engine idling, the throttle will be so set that the valve disk 19 will be in the position indicated in Figure 5, so that although suillcient vacuum will be established in the body I to effect the opening of the piston 6| by reducing the air pressure through the opening 65', in the cylinder 58, the port 28 will remain closed, and the slight amount of air entering the housing 51 will pass through the needle valve 10 into the manifold.

What is claimed is:

1. In a motor vehicle including an engine, an engine driven generator, intake manifold and a carbureter, a valved air inlet disposed between the carbureter and the manifold, electric means which when energized maintains said valve closed, means whereby said electric means will be energized only when said generator fails to deliver current, and mechanism adapted to be coupled with and controlled by the throttle of the carbureter which is constructed and arranged to maintain said valve open when said throttle is closed and said electric means is deenergized.

2. In a motor vehicle including an engine, an engine driven generator, intake manifold and a carbureter, a valved air inlet disposed between the carbureter and the manifold, electric means which when energized maintains said valve closed, means whereby said electric means will be energized only when said generator fails to deliver current, vacuum operated means which when operative while the electric means is deenergized maintains said valve open, valve controlled means for actuating said vacuum operated means by the vacuum created in the engine fuel intake passage, said last means being operable by and simultaneously with the control for the carbureter, and said last valve being in a position to subject the vacuum operated means to the engine created vacuum when the carbureter throttle is closed.

3. In a motor vehicle including an engine, an engine driven generator, intake manifold and a carbureter, a tubular fuel conducting body adapted to be interposed between the carbureter and the intake manifold, a valve controlled air inlet leading to said body, electromagnetic means adapted when energized to maintain said valve closed, a pipe connected at one end with the fuel intake passage of the engine and having its other end connected with said electromagnetic means whereby a reduction of pressure inthe pipe when the magnetic means is de-energized will effect the opening of said valve, and valve means controlling said pipe and coupled for simultaneous actuation with the carbureter control throttle.

4. In a motor vehicle including an engine, an engine driven generator, intake manifold "and a carbureter, a tubular fuel conducting body adapted to be interposed between the carbureter and the intake manifold, a valve controlled air inlet leading to said body, electromagnetic means adapted when energized to maintain said valve closed, a pipe connected at one end with the fuel intake passage of the engine and having its other end connected with said electromagnetic means whereby a reduction-of pressure in the pipe when the magnetic means is de-energized will effect the opening of said valve, valve means controlling said pipe and coupled for simultaneous actuation with the carbureter control throttle, an air passageway having an inlet port and leading to said fuel conducting body, said second mentioned valve being adapted when shifted to close said pipe, to open the air passageway, and means normally maintaining closed the port leading to the air passageway, said last means being shifted to open the port only upon the development of a predetermined vacuum in the fuel conducting body.

5. In an internal combustion engine having anintake manifold and a carbureter, a tubular fuel conducting body adapted to be interposed between the manifold and carbureter, a pipe leading into said body, a valve in said pipe, a suction actuated piston having a stem coupled with said valve, an electromagnet of which said piston forms the movable core, means forming a valve chamber having a seat and a passage passing through the seat into said body, an apertured valve disk engaging said seat and controlling said port, a pair of ports in said seat, one of which is adapted to be connected with the intake of the engine, the other of said ports being connected with said suction operated piston, said disk valve in one position connecting said last two ports and closing the first mentioned port, a second air inlet, suction operated means normally closing the second inlet, said second inlet leading to said rotary valve casing, and said rotary valve when in a second position establishing communication between the second air inlet and the fuel conducting body.

6. In a motor vehicle including an engine having an intake manifold and carbureter, a generator operated by the engine and including a cut-out having a magnet and armature and a storage battery connected with the cut-out armature; a tubular body interposed between the carbureter and intake manifold for the passage of fuel therethrough, an air inlet passage connected with the body, a valve controlling said passage, a solenoid coil having one end grounded to said battery and having a fixed terminal at its other end, a terminal associated with said cut-out in a position to be electrically engaged by the armature when the electromagnet is deenergized, an electrical connection between the solenoid terminal and the second terminal, a cylinder in line with said solenoid, a piston slidable in the cylinder and forming a movable core for the solenoid, means connecting said piston with said valve whereby the latter will be opened and closed by the movements of the piston, means whereby a decreased pressure may be effected in said cylinder by the vehicle engine, and valve means controlling the development of said decreased pressure and operable simultaneously with the throttle for the carbureter,

'7. In a motor vehicle including an engine having an intake manifold and carbureter, a generator operated by the engine and including a cut-out having a. magnet and armature and a storage battery connected with the cut-out armature; a tubular body interposed between the carbureter and intake manifold for the passage of fuel therethrough, an air inlet passage connected with the body, a valve controlling said passage, a' solenoid coil having one end grounded to said battery and having a fixed terminal at its other end, a terminal associated with said cut-out in a position to be electrically engaged by the armature when the electromagnet is deenergized, and electrical connection between the solenoid terminal and the second terminal, a

cylinder in line with said solenoid, a piston slidable in the cylinder and forming a movable core for the solenoid, means connecting said piston with said valve whereby the latter will be opened and closed by the movements of the piston, means whereby a decreased pressure may be effected in said cylinder by the vehicle engine,

valve means controlling the development of said decreased pressure and operable simultaneously with the throttle for the carbureter, means forming a second air inlet having inner and outer air ports, said last valve means when shifted to shut off the development of a decreased pressure in the piston cylinder, establishing communication between said inner port and said body, and means operating automatically upon the establishment of a predetermined pressure reduction in the body to open said outer port.

8. In a motor vehicle including an engine having an intake manifold and carbureter, a

generator operated by the engine and including a "cut-out having a magnet and armature and a storage battery connected with the cut-out armature; a tubular body interposed between the carbureter and intake manifold for the passageof fuel therethrough, an air inlet passage connected with the body, a valve controlling said passage, a solenoid coil having one end grounded to said battery and having a. fixed terminal at its other end, a terminal associated with said cut-out in a position to be electrically engaged by the armature when the electromagnet is de-energized, an electrical connection between the solenoid terminal and the second terminal, a cylinder in line with said-solenoid, a piston slidable in the cylinder and forming a movable core for the solenoid, means connecting said piston with said valve whereby the latter will be opened and closed by the movements of the piston, means whereby a decreased pressure may be effected in said, cylinder by the vehicle -engine, valve means controlling the development of said decreased pressure and operable simultaneously with the throttle for the carbureter, and valve controlled means for admitting air to said body for mixture with fuelipassing therethrough, while the first mentioned-valve is closed and the carbureter throttle is closed.

9. In an internal combustion engine including a carbureter provided with a butterflyvalve, control means for the butterfly valve thereof, intake manifold, a generator as a source of electrical potential, and a cut-out having a magnet and armature; an auxiliary air inlet between'the carbureter and manifold, a valve in said inlet, a solenoid having a movable core therein, a closed cylinder into which the core moves from the solenoid, a coupling between said core and valve, an air conduit connecting said cylinder with said manifold whereby movement of the core in one direction 'to open the valvemay be effected by suction from the manifold, an electrical contact arranged for electrical engagement by said armature when the same is raised from its magnet, and an electric circuit includ ing the contact, cut-out armature, solenoid, and said source of potential, the solenoid when energized moving the core to close said valve.

10. In an internal combustion engine includ ing a carbureter provided with a butterfly valve, control means for the butterfly valve thereof, intake manifold, a generator as a source of electrical potential, and a cut-out having a magnet and armature; an auxiliary air inlet between the carbureter and manifold, a valve in said inlet, a solenoid having a movable core therein, a closed cylinder into which the core moves from the solenoid, a coupling between said core and valve, an air conduit connecting said cylinder with said manifold whereby movement of the core in one direction to open .the valve may be effected by suction from the manifold, an electrical contact arranged for electrical engagement by said armature when the same is raised from its magnet, an electric circuit including the contact, cut-out armature, solenoid and said source of potential, the solenoid when energized moving the core to close said valve,

=movable core, a closed cylinder into which one end of the core moves and snugly fits, connecting means between the core and said arm, an air conduit between the manifold and the cylinder whereby movement of the core in a direction toopen the intake valve may be effected by suction from the manifold, an electrical contact arranged for electrical engagement by said'armature when the latter is raised from the magnet, an electric circuit including said contact, armature, solenoid, and said source of electrical potential, a valve in said conduit, means facilitating the connection of said last valve with the butterfly valve, control means whereby the conduit is closed when the butterfly valve is opened, an air inlet passage leading from .the atmosphere into the manifold and having said last valve interposed therein, said last valve opening to permit the flow of air through the .passage when closing the conduit, and a springin the manifold.

ELHL J. GIARA.

is actuated to open 

